


Home for the Holidays

by melliejellie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, Fluff, KrTskfluffweek, M/M, Marriage Proposal, New Years, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Visiting Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-21 12:10:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17043476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melliejellie/pseuds/melliejellie
Summary: Tetsurou and Kei travel to Miyagi to see Kei's family for Christmas, then have plans to return to Tokyo to spend the rest of the holiday season with Tetsurou's family. Through all the tooth-rotting sweetness, Tetsurou has plans for Kei that include a ring that he's secretly carrying around the whole time.





	1. Day 1: scarf sharing/childhood friends/firsts

Tetsurou shivers in his coat and pulls his ungloved hand from his luggage handle to tuck it back into his pocket. There were snow flurries in Tokyo this morning, but they quickly gave up on being soft and sweet and instead turned into cold, unforgiving rain for the rest of his workday. At least now he’s made it to his vacation. 

Correction. At least now they’ve it to their vacation. 

He shivers again and looks at Kei, bundled up far more than Tetsurou is on the train platform next to him. Tetsurou’s fingers wiggle in his pockets. Deciding the consequences are worth it, he grabs for Kei’s scarf and wraps his frozen fingers in its wooly warmth.

“Keep your hands to yourself.” Kei clicks his tongue and pulls away from Tetsurou’s outstretched hands. 

“But I’m cold.” He whines in response, dramatically shivering on purpose. He can work the pity angle if he needs to. 

“I told you to grab something warmer before we left.” Kei peeks over the edge of his scarf. He’s wrapped up like he’s going on an expedition to the arctic, not about to board a bullet train bound for Miyagi. 

“Yea, but I want to share yours.” Tetsurou pouts. Seeing Kei’s eyeroll he adds, “Plus, you’re from a colder climate anyway, shouldn’t you be used to this?”

Kei’s voice is muffled by his scarf as he tucks his face deeper into it. “Miyagi’s not that much colder than Tokyo. And anyway, being used to colder weather doesn’t mean I don’t hate it.”

“Fair point.” Tetsurou concedes, stuffing his hands back into the coat he’d chosen more for the sake of fashion than for warmth. He looks at his shoes and wonders if they’ll be okay in Miyagi. Actually, was anything he packed going to be appropriate for the weather? He’d barely checked the forecast before he’d stuffed clothes into his suitcase. An inkling of regret starts to trickle into his mind until he hears shuffling beside him and feels Kei’s scarf being tossed around the back of his neck. 

He glances over to see Kei pursing his lips to keep from smiling. “Can’t have crazy-haired idiots getting sick before meeting my extended family now, can we?” Kei raises an eyebrow. “The scarf’s long enough. Guess I can share.”

Tetsurou’s lips form a warm smile as he wraps the offering around his neck and tangles his fingers in the ends to keep them from freezing, too. 

“You nervous?” Kei asks after a moment.

Tetsurou looks over, a question in his eyes.

“To meet everyone.” Kei clarifies. At this point, Tetsurou has seen Kei’s immediate family more times than he can count. It makes sense, given that they’re coming up on their third anniversary, the official one, but Tetsurou swears they were together way before that. This trip, however, is the first time Tetsurou will meet Kei’s grandmother and one of his aunts. They’ve flown to Japan all the way from France. 

“Not really. I’m very charming.”

Kei snickers. “Who told you that?”

“I have it on good authority that I can melt even the coldest of hearts.”

Kei grimaces playfully. 

“And I’ve learned a ton of French.” Tetsurou stares at Kei, waiting for his reaction. He’s sure his boyfriend has noticed the apps on his phone and the way Tetsurou’s peppered in French nouns and phrases into their daily life whenever possible. Kei doesn’t use it often, only with his _maman_ on the phone and even then not all the time. She’s only half-French and grew up in Japan, but Tetsurou’s dead-set on being part of the family. That includes everyone visiting from France. 

“Oh? A ton now, is it? Not just _le pain_ or _désolé_?”

“ _Oui. Il fait froid._ ”

“ _Très bien._ ” Kei grins. “ _Je déteste quand il fait trop froid._ ”

“ _Oui._ ” Tetsurou replies with unearned confidence. 

Kei laughs as the train approaches and Tetsurou’s glad his heart still swells when he hears that sound. No matter how many years have passed, Kei’s laugh is still his favorite sound in the world. 

 

***

 

Much to the disappointment of Kei’s mother, Tadashi picks them up from the train station. Kei expects for the new few days to be almost completely taken up with family time and Tadashi always goes out of town to visit his grandparents for the New Year. So, he prioritized seeing his best friend for a few hours for dinner, promising his mother he’d bring home a dessert as a peace offering. 

Kei chooses a hot pot restaurant near the station because, as he put it, “I want to be warm and I want to be full.”

Halfway through the pile of assorted vegetables and meat on the table, they’ve already accomplished both of those things, but none of them are giving up yet. No one quits early on hot pot. 

“...that’s like that one time we tried to build that igloo in the woods.” Kei reminises, shoving a few more pieces of cabbage into his mouth. 

Tadashi laughs. “That was so stupid. How old were we?”

“Like thirteen?” Kei laughs, too. “Definitely old enough to better understand the structural integrity of snow, or lack thereof in our case, and decide to stay inside and play video games instead - like everyone else our age.”

“But then we would never know how it feels to have a wall of tightly-packed snow and ice slowly crushing us to death!” Winding down his laughter, Tadashi loops Tetsurou into the conversation. “Do you have any stupid snow stories with Kenma?”

“If you think I can get that boy to go outside in the cold, then you have more faith in me than I do. If the weather was too bad, he made me carry him to school or he just wouldn’t go. True story.”

“Aw, and you did it. You little pushover.” Kei smirks.

“I think you meant, ‘you amazing best friend, next time, Tetsurou, will you please carry me?’ I know what you want.” He shoots back a smirk of his own.

“Alright, on that note, excuse me while I go to the restroom.” Kei scoots out his seat, jabbing Tetsurou in the upper arm before walking away.

Tadashi watches him walk away, practically bouncing in his seat. The moment Kei’s out of earshot, he speaks, staring right at Tetsurou. “So…?”

Even though Tetsurou knows just what Tadashi’s hinting at, he can’t find any words. They’ve talked about it over the past few weeks, but now that the time is actually near, Tetsurou’s getting nervous. There’s a reason he’s kept a protective hand on his suitcase at all times and hoped Kei hasn’t noticed. There’s something very important hidden between his sweaters. A very important ring.

“When are you going to do it?” 

“I don’t know.” He replies nervously and it’s the truth. Tetsurou’s played out countless scenarios in his head and they all seem great because all of them include him proposing to Kei, but he’s overwhelmed by the options. “I’m just going to go with what feels right.”

“So you’re going to keep it on you, like in your coat or stuffed in your pocket during the whole trip?”

“I guess so. I don’t know.” He says and again and his reply comes out more defensively than he intended. 

Tadashi’s smile softens. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be great. Just make sure I’m one of the first to know after it happens, alright?”

 

***

 

Even before Tadashi’s car rounds the corner on Kei’s street, it’s clear which house is his. Tetsurou’s been here before, but never for the holidays. His house stands out like a beacon of holiday cheer. It’s the only one exuberantly decorated for Christmas. Big, colorful strings of lights are strung along the edge of his home, brightly illuminating cute plastic snowmen and a big Santa Claus peeking out of the snow. Tetsurou’s never seen anything like it outside of storefront designs or the big trees decorated in some train stations in Tokyo. Suddenly his body hums with giddiness that he feels from his fingers to his toes. 

They say good night to Tadashi and thank him for the ride, making plans to meet up a few more times before they’re both gone. Kei and Tetsurou’s boots crunch into the snow under their feet as they make their way to the front door. Already Tetsurou can hear music and voices. It’s so much different from any other time he’s come and been greeted by the quiet, calm Tsukishima household. 

Kei opens the front door and the sound of classical holiday music hits their ears the same time the smell of vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg fill the air around them. They barely have time to brush snowflakes off of their coats before Kei’s mother is gliding out of the kitchen with Akiteru right behind her. They’re both dotted with bits of flour and chocolate. Over the years, Tetsurou’s learned to love the way they’re both so alike. 

She’s always kind and sweet, but Tetsurou notes the way her eyes are a bit brighter than usual, her smile more filled with excitement. They share quick greetings in the entryway and she wraps her arms around Kei, despite his protests that his coat is going to get her wet. She reaches up to swipe a gentle thumb over his cheeks that are pink from the cold. “I’m so happy you’re home.”

“Me, too, _maman._ ”

Tetsurou loves watching the way Kei changes around his mother. He falls back into the role of the youngest son so quickly. In his daily life, Kei is bitingly sarcastic, clever to the core, logical and calculating. And he’s still all of those things at home, but he’s clearly the baby of the family, and Tetsurou loves how he doesn’t fight the role as much as people would expect him to.

Kei’s mother turns from Kei to welcome Tetsurou home like another son. “ _Joyeux Noël._ ” Tetsurou calls out cheerfully as he’s wrapped in a hug of his own. The French earns him a little proud peck on the cheek. 

In another instant she’s pulling off their layers, fretting over their cold faces, and asking Tetsurou about how he’s doing at work. Akiteru pulls Kei into a conversation of their own as they make their way to the living room, the music and the mix of Japanese and French growing louder as the warmth of the house surrounds them and Tetsurou is certain there’s no other place he’d rather be right now.


	2. Day 2: cats and dinosaurs/late night walks/stargazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kei and Tetsurou hang out with the Tsukishimas - all of them - until they find a moment to steal away for themselves.

For much of the evening, Tetsurou is quiet, the way he often is around new people if meeting them is important. If it’s people his own age, or people he more than likely won’t see again, he can overcome his initial shyness and turn on the exuberant charm to compensate. But when it matters, really matters, he finds himself observing, watching his words, and paying extra attention to minding his manners.

At least there were plenty of desserts to pile on top of all the hot pot in his stomach. The fruit tartlets Kei had picked up for his mother on the way home are happily devoured along with his mother and Akiteru’s “practice” _bûche de Noël_. As she had argued earlier, “you can’t wait until Christmas Eve to make your first one of the season. What if it’s not perfect?” 

So, over tarts and cake, Kei’s grandmother and his aunt dote on Kei, reminding him of how much older he looks since the last time they saw him. Akiteru owns the rest of the room, bopping from one story to the next as his parents as him questions. No one is particularly loud, it’s still a room full of people related to Kei after all, but there’s a loving intensity in the room, one Kei can’t seem to escape no matter how many times he’s tried to just sit down next to Tetsurou on the couch. 

Kei’s father joins Tetsurou instead. With Kei still the center of attention, Kei’s father asks Tetsurou about the weather in Tokyo, about work, about sports. Typical father topics. If Akiteru and his mother are the still-calm but much more outgoing Tsukishimas, then Kei and his father were the ones that keep their thoughts and feelings a little more close to their chests. Tetsurou finds himself saying ridiculous things like “sir” around him more than he’d like. He hopes the awkward but polite angle still works for him, even after three years. To his credit, Kei’s father listens to every word like it is important and he smiles along whenever Tetsurou laughs. 

And when the French relatives turn their attention to Tetsurou, he takes it in stride. He grins widely. He laughs freely. He answers anything they ask and thanks the stars above that Kei’s family has more tact and grace than his own family does.

By the time Kei’s older family members begin retiring to bed, Tetsurou feels a finger curl around his own on the couch beside him. He catches Kei’s gaze and it’s easy to read the social fatigue written across it. Kei leans in a little closer to him and whispers, “Could we go for a walk?”

It’s freezing. It’s dark. But it’s no longer snowing. Tetsurou would say yes to him every single time regardless. He nods and Kei smiles. 

Bundled up again, this time with one of Kei’s extra scarves wrapped around him, the quiet night air makes time slow down around them. Outside, the night is the kind of cold that bites his cheeks and stings his lips. He smiles, relishing the way it makes him feel. 

Wordlessly, Kei starts to walk towards the street. He steps confidently, like there’s no ice hidden in the patches of snow. Tetsurou has no such faith in his own legs, but he falls in step the best he can. In the streetlights, he watches Kei’s eyes take in his old neighborhood. His family has never moved. Since Akiteru was born, they’ve lived in the same house. Tetsurou wonders what Kei sees when he looks around. Tetsurou’s heard plenty of his stories by now, especially through Tadashi, but there’s no way he’ll ever know every memory, every thought tied to these houses, these narrow streets. 

Kei’s mouth is hidden under a scarf. Tetsurou knows Kei needs time to be silent. Obviously, Kei loves his family, but for someone like Kei, conversing for that long is a performance and they’ve been together long enough for Tetsurou to know his boyfriend needs a break from performing. 

Tetsurou gently tugs Kei’s gloved hand into his mitten and gets a glance and a small smile in return. Through the layers of cotton and wool, Tetsurou feels the grip around his own hand tighten. 

After a few more blocks, Kei’s pace starts to slow. “This is how I used to walk to Karasuno in the winter.”

“Yea?”

“I had to take a different route when it snowed because the shorter one would get too icy.”

Tetsurou smiles as his eyes follow Kei walking just a half step ahead of him. “I would have liked to walk with you.”

“And why’s that?” Kei stops and a grin spreads across his face. 

“Well, I could have picked you up in the morning, brought you home after practice. And I could have tried to kiss you there --”

“That’s a very public tree.” Though his tone is flat, Kei steps closer to Tetsurou, their faces just a few inches apart as the wisps of their breath mix between them in the night air.

Tetsurou’s eyes continue to dart around. “Or over there --”

“That’s someone’s driveway.”

“Or right here.” Tetsurou pulls back on Kei’s hand and slides his arms around Kei’s middle.

Kei wiggles free just enough to use his hand to pull down his scarf. “That would have turned some heads.”

“Good thing it’s so dark now.” 

Tetsurou loves it when Kei’s the one to lean in for the kiss first. When they meet, their lips are both cold, but they quickly warm under one another’s touch. They haven’t been able to kiss like this since before they left. Tetsurou knows it’s silly to miss something after only a few hours, but he did. And, judging by the way Kei’s tugging back on Tetsurou’s jacket to keep them together, he must have felt the same. 

When they part, Tetsurou’s nose feels warm, his cheeks tingle. He looks at his boyfriend and thinks there’s no way he could have ever been this lucky. A little voice in the back of his head whispers “now, you can propose now.” His breath catches and Kei looks at him questioningly, but Tetsurou brushes it off. His heart drops. The ring is still in his suitcase. He never unpacked. It’s fine, he tells himself. It’s not the right time anyway.

They keep walking, falling back into a comfortable silence until they reach the end of Kei’s neighborhood. There’s nothing but a bus stop and a notice board for community events. Together they stop at the end of the sidewalk, their hands still clasped together. 

“It’s eerily quiet out here.” Tetsurou notes.

Kei shrugs. “I like it. In the summer it’s all crickets and frogs, but in the winter there’s nothing at all. And,” he motions up towards the brilliant night sky with his free hand, “I never get tired of that.”

Tetsurou takes a deep breath and looks up, taking in the sight of stars he can only see when he’s this far out from a big city. Most nights when they come up to Miyagi for for visits, Kei takes his nightly pre-bed cup of tea out on the patio and stares at the sky. Tetsurou loves joining him and imagining a younger Kei doing the exact same thing.

“Sirius is easy to see tonight, so there’s _Canis Major_.” Kei traces the imaginary lines in the sky.

Tetsurou follows Kei’s outstretched hand. “Which one’s that?”

Kei chuckles softly. “You don’t know any constellations?”

“I mean, I know, like, the Big Dipper and that one dude’s belt. And I can pick out planets!"

“That’s something, I guess. We can’t all be geniuses.”

Tetsurou plants a sloppy, wet kiss on Kei’s cheek in revenge. Kei recoils, but laughs. He spins on his heels and starts walking back the way they came, subtly holding out his hand for Tetsurou to take it once more.

“Clear nights like this remind me of when Oikawa let me use some of the Astronomy Department’s telescopes when I’d come visit you at school.”

Tetsurou groans. “Don’t remind me. Him taking you up on the roof. Making moves on my man.”

“You could have come with us.”

“No I couldn’t! He made it pretty clear I wasn’t invited.”

Kei smirks. “You’re not wrong.”

“Still want to punch his face every time I see it on a pack of yogurt.”

Kei elbows him gently in the side. “You miss him.”

Now it’s Tetsurou’s turn to laugh. “I do, but still, I have no idea how Iwaizumi puts up with him full-time.”

“I get it. I deal with you all day.” Kei sighs. 

“Come on, you love it.” Tetsurou serves back the taunt, fully expecting one in return. 

Instead, Kei glanes back up at the sky and his reply leaves his lips as a soft whisper. “I do.”

 

***

 

Back at the house, it’s grown quiet. Only Akiteru is still in the living room when they walk back inside. Tetsurou remembers the precious cargo in his suitcase and wants to unpack so he can be ready next time, but still make sure Kei doesn’t see anything. It turns out to be easier than he expects.

As they quietly climb the stairs to the second floor, Kei whispers, “You’ll be sleeping in my room.”

“Well, obviously.” 

Kei stops at the top of the stairs. “No, you, just you will be in my room.”

Tetsurou feels his face drop. They haven’t slept apart in months. He must look like a wounded animal, because Kei’s face softens. “It’s just for a few nights.”

“We’ve stayed in your room before!” Tetsurou whisper yells. 

“I think it’s different because my grandmother and aunt are here. I had a mortifying talk with my mother about us sleeping together earlier.”

Kei turns around to continue walking, but Tetsurou clings to his back. “I can’t fall asleep without you there.” He whines in a harsh whisper. 

“Yes you can, you big baby. Now be quiet. I don’t want to wake anyone.”

“But their rooms are down the hall.” Tetsurou protests. 

“And you’re loud enough to do it anyway.” 

Kei opens the door to his bedroom and switches on the light. Still wrapped around Kei’s back, Tetsurou’s heart warms at the way it’s always exactly the same. Tidy and pristine, but dotted with mementos of childhood memories and far too many dinosaurs. And there, on the bedside table, is the cheap gacha cat toy Tetsurou got for Kei one day when they were hanging out, before they started dating. 

Tetsurou tucks his chin into the crook of Kei’s neck, pouting. “Do I really have to sleep without you?”

Kei clicks his tongue in feigned annoyance, but rests his head softly on Tetsurou’s. “Yes. Now unpack, I’m going to shower.”

Tetsurou holds on a moment longer. “Fine, but I’ll just convince you to break the rules later.”

Kei breaks free of the hug and walks away, looking back over his shoulder teasingly. “Not a chance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving the prompts for this week! Thanks for reading. I hope it brought some sunshine to your day!


	3. Day 3: pictures/cuddling/sunrise sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's fluff week. There's no plot. They sleep, they talk, they go for a walk.

<< Keiiiiiiiii I can’t sleep

♥Tsukki♥>> go to sleep

<< can’t you read? I can’t! It’s so lonely and cold  
<< I need you so I can fall asleep

♥Tsukki♥>> at least you’re on a bed. This futon is too old to be comfortable and Aki snores.

<< that’s what you get for banishing me to your room  
<< ALONE

♥Tsukki♥>> I didn’t do it

<< and it’s too quiet here. If I can’t hear you breathing then all I hear is the sound of --nothingness-- the countryside is terrifying

♥Tsukki♥>> you’re an idiot

Tetsurou hears Akiteru’s door open on the other side of the wall. Now, he can understand the root of Kei’s anxiety. Everything is audible through the thin walls. Moments later, though, his door creaks open, Kei slips in, and shuts it quickly behind him. A giant smile forming on his face, Tetsurou slides over to make room for Kei in front of him. As Kei gets into his old bed, Tetsurou hears him hum contentedly. Tetsurou throws a heavy arm around him. 

“Don’t try anything. I’m just here to sleep.” Kei whispers into the darkness. Tetsurou feels him push back into him. At home, Kei always cuddles in close before bed, seeking warmth to fall asleep. For all of Kei’s jokes about how Tetsurou’s like a annoying cat, Kei’s far more cat-like, seeking sun and warmth all while wearing a self-satisfied smirk. 

“Wouldn't dream of it.” Tetsurou replies, pressing a kiss to the back of Kei’s neck. 

“I set an alarm for 4:30 so I can go back before anyone wakes up.”

Tetsurou snorts a soft little laugh. “You’re so cute, you little rule follower.”

“Shut up.”

“Love you.” Tetsurou snuggles in closer.

“Love you, too.” 

Tetsurou considers trying to make a move, but sleep pulls him in quickly. A day of travel after a full work day has left him weary. And even though the bed and the room are unfamiliar to him, when he closes his eyes and fills his senses with the sounds of Kei’s breathing steadily growing deeper and the scent of his freshly washed hair, everything seems like home.

 

***

 

The alarm doesn’t go off. Kei ends up startling awake as the early morning sun starts to peek through his curtains. He jolts out of bed, making Tetsurou jump, and slinks back to Akiteru’s room as quickly as he can. Tetsurou falls back asleep clinging to the pillow that smells like Kei. 

When Tetsurou finally does wake up for good, he’s worried that he’s overslept and, as a guest trying to make a solid impression on Kei’s extended family, that he might have messed up some unspoken rule. He gets dressed quickly, throwing on jeans and a warm sweater and running his fingers through his unruly hair to make himself somewhat presentable. 

It all turns out to be unnecessary, though. Akiteru’s still asleep and mostly everyone else, including Kei, is dressed in comfortable lounging around clothes and chatting in the living room with coffee or tea in their hands. Kei’s father and mother are dressed in a matching pajama set that Tetsurou thinks is far too adorable. Kei’s grandmother, though, is dressed like she’s ready to go out for a classy brunch and she smiles at him as he walks into the room. She pats the seat next to her on the couch and, though his heart catches in his throat, he sits down next to her. 

“Oh, you’re in for a treat.” Kei’s mother smiles and Kei grimaces. He gives Tetsurou a pleading look before busying himself in conversation with his father again about something work-related. 

Tetsurou feels a gentle tap on his arm and he looks over at Kei’s grandmother. There’s a small book in her lap, leather bound and faded. 

“My dearest memories of Kei. Do you want to see?” She says in beautifully accented Japanese. 

Tetsurou nods excitedly and she laughs, small and sweet.

She opens it slowly to show the first page, an older photo of Kei’s family in what must be France, given the views in the background. Kei’s just a baby with Akiteru tugging on his foot as it dangles from where Kei’s father is holding him. His mother is beaming wide as other family members, definitely his grandmother and his aunt, a man who was probably his grandfather standing close by. 

She hums and points to the baby. “Ah Kei, _mon petit chou._ ” 

Tetsurou chuckles at the term. He’s heard Kei’s mother call him her little cabbage enough times to know what it means. He’s always wanted something to call Kei in French, too. One night while scribbling french vocabulary into a little notebook, he found it. _Ma moitié._ My other half. He’s been saving it for the right occasion. 

She gingerly sweeps through the plastic-covered pages, revealing photo after photo of Kei’s family in France. There are photos of him with frosting on his cheek as a baby, running in a park as a little boy, a surly teen refusing to smile in front of the Arc de Triomphe. 

As the last page folds down to join the others, Tetsurou whispers a “ _merci_ ,” surprised his voice comes out so small. Kei’s grandmother smiles wide and lifts a hand to pat him softly on the arm, a growing fondness alight in her eyes. 

 

***

 

The day is spent lazily watching movies, chatting, and baking. Kei’s mother and aunt leave a few times to run errands or finish Christmas shopping. Kei’s entrusted with a list of chores and along with Akiteru, the three of them make short work of last-minute decorating, kitchen cleaning, and closet organizing. 

Kei’s good at finding openings to sneak out, though. After lunch, he twists his fingers around Tetsurou’s and leads him slowly towards the front door while the rest of the family is busy listening to his grandmother embarrass Kei’s father by retelling the story of the first time Kei’s mother brought him home.

“Oh, but I wanted to hear the end of that.” Tetsurou says in a hushed tone, putting on his shoes. 

“I’ll tell you the rest later.” Kei says quickly. “This is our chance.”

They escape for a little over an hour at a coffee shop down the street. They talk until their coffee is through, then stay there ages longer, happy to be around each other, just each other. When they walk back, Kei seems to have a little more energy and Tetsurou knows it’s not just from the coffee. 

Before dinner, Kei gets that look in his eyes again and Tetsurou is all too ready to comply. “A walk before dinner?” Tetsurou offers.

That day the temperature had risen and the sun had shone, making a slushy mess of much of the ground. Carefully, Kei leads them a different way than the night before, towards the back of his neighborhood where it opens into a very small park sharing space with a shrine. There the sun had melted a considerable amount of the slush and parts of the small walkway are completely free of snow. Together they walk and talk along the small circle of the park, nodding to neighbors who recognize Kei and others who don’t.

“So I have to ask, where’s Akiteru’s girlfriend?” Tetsurou asks once the conversation slows. 

Kei sighs. “They broke up. More specifically, she dumped him about a week ago. He told me about it last night.”

“How’s he doing?”

“Not great, but it’s Aki, so you know how he is.”

“Yea.” If Kei painted on a practiced scowl to keep prying eyes away from his personal life, then Akiteru did the same but with a big smile and a hearty laugh. “That sucks.”

“It really does.” Kei laughs a sad sort of laugh. “He’s stuck in this cycle, you know? He wants it so bad - the wife, the family - I think he keeps rushing in and falling too hard for these women who don’t love him the same way.”

“He loves hard.”

“He does.”

“Must be a male Tsukishima thing.”

“Meaning?” Kei raises an eyebrow. 

“Akiteru falls in love so fast. Your father wears matching pajamas and makes breakfast for your mother. And you, well you -” The planned provocation dies on his tongue as Kei scowls at him, his face cute and scrunched together. He settles on a question instead. “How do you love me Kei?”

Kei squirms and continues walking. He replies with an embarrassed grumble. “You know how.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author real talk: I actually dislike the holidays. This is helping me work through my demons. FLUUUUUFFFFFFF. It cures all. (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the kudos, comments, and bookmarks so far!


	4. Day 4: shopping/baking/playlist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsurou ponders the etiquette of proposing, they shop, they bake.

The preparations for Christmas Eve start early in the morning. Tetsurou wakes up as the sun slips in through his partially opened curtains. Even before he opens Kei’s bedroom door, the smell of coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla make him feel light on his feet. 

He’s feeling particularly refreshed and it may have something to do with Kei continuing to sneak back into his old bedroom the past few nights, and the fact that Kei loosened up considerably with the “no fooling around” rule. The whole situation is silly but it leaves Tetsurou feeling younger and sappier like when they first started dating. 

He knows Kei’s mom knows what’s going on. Just yesterday she casually made the comment “well, it’s just that you two aren’t married yet, so when other people are here, we have to, I don’t know-” in the middle of cooking and Tetsurou’s heart stopped beating for a moment while Kei blushed and laughed it off. 

He’d thought about it all last night. The “yet” made him want to run around the neighborhood with joy because his mother expects them to be together always. The secret look she gave him when he stopped breathing made him wonder if she suspected anything more. It made him wonder for the first time if he was supposed to ask or tell Kei’s parents before he proposed. 

“Good morning.” Kei’s father calls as he sees Tetsurou come down the steps. He sets his book down for a moment on the top of the kotatsu where he’s sitting. “I started a new pot of coffee. Should be done in a minute.”

Tetsurou replies with a greeting of his own and a quick “thanks,” before heading to the kitchen. 

There, Kei’s mother and aunt are sitting at the kitchen table with cups of coffee in front of them. They look at ease, but there are signs all around them that they’ve already gotten a lot done this morning. The oven is preheating, there are ingredients neatly arranged on the counters and baking dishes ready to be filled. 

They exchange friendly morning greetings, as well, then it’s back to business. With a grin, Kei’s mother slides a list in his direction after he gets his own cup of coffee. Her neat, small handwriting fills the lines with things she needs from the grocery store and little notes about specifically which brands to buy. “If it’s not too much to ask, it would be wonderful if you could run to the store this morning and get these things for dinner tonight.”

“Of course. Be happy to.” It’s not a lie. He loves just being one of her boys. They visit Miyagi for Kei, but Tetsurou swears he almost gets more out of it. He loves his dad, knows they did their absolute best together, but getting to visit this kind of life, to be welcomed into it more and more each time, makes Tetsurou feel like he’s falling in love with a whole family, not just one particularly perfect blonde man.

“You can wait for Kei to wake up, or feel free to go now if you want some alone time.”

“I’ll wait for him.” 

Back in the living room, Tetsurou takes a seat in a recliner near the window. Kei’s father acknowledges him with a nod, raising his coffee cup in a fake “cheers,” before getting back to his reading. These are some of the moments where Tetsurou can almost see what future Kei will be like. Already Kei spends most of his weekend mornings with a book in his hand, curled up by the big window in their bedroom. Sure, he has traits from his mother, but he is so much like his father. Both men are thoughtful and kind but also bitingly clever and careful with choosing the people they let see the layers underneath the wall they keep up for the world. Tetsurou thinks of all the sides of Kei that only he sees and he wonders how many more his father has.

The train of thought leads him back to why he returned to the living room instead of joining the two women for a morning chat in the kitchen. He takes out his phone and fires off the same text to Kenma, Bokuto, and Yamaguchi.

<< Should I ask/tell Kei’s parent’s before I ask Kei? Didn't even think about it. Now I don’t know. Is that still a thing people do?

He sips his coffee as he waits for the replies, trying not to nervously watch Kei’s father like the man can read his mind from across the room. The ring is upstairs, wrapped back up in one of his sweaters. He stopped carrying it around in his jacket because it made him too nervous and jumpy. Kei kept asking what was wrong with him. 

His plans are starting to take a little more shape. While at first he was so sure he would just do it spur of the moment, like so many of their important firsts had been, now he wants to have a plan, something he can be ready to do just right. 

Today is Christmas Eve. That’s pretty romantic. And then tomorrow’s Christmas. But Tetsurou doesn’t like how cliche that feels. Then again, why not pick a special day? But if he’s going to go that route then he’d have to pick New Year. It’s a holiday. It’s special. It’s their anniversary. 

Though, there’s a debate between the two of them as to when their actual anniversary is. Tetsurou swears it’s December 31, because he confessed before midnight. Kei argues it’s January 1 because Tetsurou talked for so long that by the time Kei shut him up with a kiss, it was already the new year. 

Maybe. That day is definitely a solid maybe. 

His phone buzzes and Tetsurou jumps. 

Kenma ~(=^–^)>> I don’t think anyone does that - old fashioned - shrug - idk

The other two don’t take much longer. 

Yams>> I was wondering if you were gonna do that. I think… yes. Yes? I just think they’re a close family and it might be nice.  
Yams>> Depending on when you’re gonna do it, maybe you can tell them the last day you’re there or over the phone so Kei doesn’t get suspicious if they start acting differently?

BOKUTO!!!!!>> I don’t know  
BOKUTO!!!!!>> like yes  
BOKUTO!!!!!>> but also no  
BOKUTO!!!!!>> ‘cause it’s not like you need to ask  
BOKUTO!!!!!>> but maybe telling them is cool  
BOKUTO!!!!!>> you do you, man  
BOKUTO!!!!!>> I’m just so freaking happy about it

So, one vote for no, one for yes, and one completely unhelpful response that makes his grin stretch from ear to ear. 

 

***

 

“Nope!” Tetsurou pulls the list away from where Kei was reaching for it. “Your mom gave it to me. I’m the favorite now.” He narrowly avoids bumping into a woman’s cart behind him in the aisle. 

“If you want to be the errand boy, fine by me. I just know what spice brand she buys.”

“Then you can tell me, but the list stays in my most trusted hands.”

“You were just the first one of us awake.”

“Not true. I am The Chosen.”

“Excellent. Then you can be chosen next time she wants to take one of us out to buy pants. She’ll make you try on every pair and show them to her.”

“I’m down. I’d go today.”

“I know you would.”

Against a backdrop of spices and seasonings in their tiny plastic containers, they share a familiar look. It’s one that acknowledges that they’re teasing, but that there’s truth behind it. Tetsurou does want to be the list holder, to be taken out shopping and doted on in a different way than his father did. It’s acknowledged, but they don’t need to talk about it. They have so many times before when Kei has held him and made him feel okay again. The jokes are good. They let Tetsurou get rid of some of the tension that builds in his mind so he can let it go again. 

“Alright, what’s next, chosen boy?”

“Herbs. Fresh ones. And next to rosemary she wrote, ‘buy more rosemary and parsley than you think I’ll need.’ That almost sounds ominous.” Tetsurou grins. 

Kei chuckles. “Lead the way, then, so we can buy too much of everything.”

 

***

 

The Tsukishima’s kitchen is large for a Japanese home, but it’s still cramped with all the people bustling around inside. It’s tough to hear, but Akiteru’s “Christmas Mix” is playing through the speakers on the television, despite his mother’s protests to “play something more traditional.”

Kei’s father is busy preparing the main meat dish for the evening, Akiteru is making bread and pastry dough that Tetsurou and Kei then follow recipes to fill or shape, and his mother and aunt won’t let anyone touch anything else they think is “too important.” The rest of the year, their home is a lovely mix of Japanese and French food and culture, but Christmas? His mother owns the Christmas season and her French side takes over. She’s only emboldened by the presence of her sister and mother this year.

Every couple of minutes, they can hear Kei’s grandmother chuckle from her seat on the couch in the next room over, where she’s amazed with her new tablet that Kei helped her load all her photos onto. 

Crammed into a corner, Kei is squinting at an old handwritten recipe. All Tetsurou can read clearly is “Camembert Bread Wreath,” the rest is a squiggly mystery. Tetsurou watches as Kei’s mouth moves soundlessly, repeating the words on the page, deep in concentration. 

Tetsurou gives him a few more moments, seeing if the mood will pass, but ends up cutting in like he often does. “You’re overthinking it, babe. Trust yourself.”

Kei sighs. “I know. I just want to get the proportions right. I don’t want it to come out ugly.”

“It won’t. Come on.” He grabs a hunk of dough and starts rolling it into a ball like the hand-drawn illustration shows. “And if it does, we’ll eat it anyway.”

Together they assemble something resembling the drawing. Kei keeps tearing off bits of bread to keep the dough balls the same size and Tetsurou keeps forging ahead so they’ll actually finish. In the end, it a wreath. A bit blobby, but a wreath nevertheless. Their hands smell like the garlic and herbs infused in the dough. They pass it off to Akiteru to bake once there’s room in the oven and await their next task. 

“Do you want to teach Tetsu-kun to make sable cookies?” Kei’s mother brushes her hands on her apron.

“They’re super easy. Not much to teach.”

“Perfect for you two, then.” Akiteru calls from over by the fridge.

“You’ve made such good ones, though, even when you were little.” She beams when he husband hands her a cup of tea. “Time for a break, I’ll leave you to it.”

With Akiteru filling pastry cups at the kitchen table, Kei takes over part of the counter. He gets some of the ingredients himself and tells Tetsurou to get the rest. Akiteru snorts a laugh as his Christmas playlist is rejected and classical music starts playing from the TV.

“Don’t you need a recipe?” Tetsurou asks once Kei gets started.

“Nope, I know this one.” 

“How come you’ve never made these at home?”

Kei stops and turns around. “I have, just, they’re not the same. Mom has the good butter, the French butter. It makes all the difference in the world. You’ll see.”

Kei beats together the butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until it looks just right to him, then has Tetsurou slowly pour in the flour until the dough starts to clump together. Next, Kei shows him how to roll out the dough to the right thickness and without it sticking to the pin. Then together they cut and shape the cookies, adding a cross-hatched pattern on top as the final step. On the baking sheet they’ll wait until there’s room in the oven.

Aware that Akiteru’s still behind them but not really caring, Tetsurou slides his floury hands around Kei’s waist and hugs him from behind. “You smell like sugar.”

Kei drops his head back to rest against Tetsurou’s cheek. “You smell like butter.”

“I like it.”

“Might need some help cleaning it all off.”

A cough echos behind them. “I’m still here, you know.”

“So leave.” Kei angles his head and grins against Tetsurou’s mouth as their lips meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-inserting your feelings is this generation of fic writer's Mary Sues. Kuroo, I feel you, boi.
> 
> I hoped you liked gratuitous baking scenes. I really want some cookies now. Or a yule log. I'm off to search for gluten free buche de noel recipes that I can butcher. 
> 
> Full disclosure, I have nothing but an outline done for tomorrow. Good thing it's raining and I have time to write. I GOT THIS. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
> 
> Also, no one needs to know, but I broke my wrist 7 weeks ago and I got the brace off today. I have an arm again! Alright!


	5. Day 5: freckles/lazy mornings/concert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Eve! The Tsukishimas go to a concert, Kei and Tetsurou exchange gifts, and the first light of Christmas morning arrives.

Before Christmas Eve dinner, Kei and Tetsurou spend some time with the Yamaguchis. They play Mario Kart and Tetsurou feels sixteen again. Most of the time he feels like a third wheel around the pair of best friends, but a happy one, and they both try to pull him back into the fold as often as possible. He imagines Kei feels the same when they hang out with Kenma. The language of best friends is incomprehensible to anyone else. 

When they get back home, Akiteru greets them at the door, his eyes wide. “Mom’s done a thing.”

“You’ll have to be more specific.” Kei smirks, taking off his damp coat. 

“So she ran into a friend of mine from Karasuno, you don’t remember her, but I had a massive crush on her for, like three years, but she went to Kyoto for university, right?”

“Sure.” Kei pushes past him gently, moving the conversation to the living room so Kei can warm himself under the kotatsu. 

Akiteru keeps talking as they walk, Tetsurou beside him. “Well she moved back to be near family and mom remembered that I liked her. And mom tells her. In the middle of the grocery story, mom tells her that I liked her back in high school!” He runs his fingers through his hair, holding up the strands at strange angles.

Both Tetsurou and Kei laugh.

“Oh, that’s rough, man.” Tetsurou claps him on the back before sitting next to Kei at the kotatsu, tucking his legs under the warmth. 

“God, it’s forever ago. Who cares?” Kei comments.

“Everyone! No one needs their mother sharing embarrassing high school crushes. Even you have to agree.”

Kei gestures at Tetsurou. “My crush already knows about it so --”

“Aw babe, you had a crush on me. That’s so gross.”

“You did, too, idiot.” Kei nudges him with his shoulder.

“Back to me! That’s not the end of the story.” Akiteru lets out a breath. “So mom says that they laughed about it, then she invited her and her parents to go to the concert with us tonight. And they’re coming!”

Every Christmas Eve, the Tsukishimas attend a community Christmas concert put on for free (donations encouraged!) by a local string quartet. It’s held in a local high school gymnasium, and it’s always packed.

“And apparently she said she liked me back then, too. Oh, I’m going to die.” Akiteru groans and flops his head down onto the top of the kotatsu. 

Kei flicks his forehead. “You’re so dramatic. Just talk to her.”

“Says the boy who took approximately 100 years to start dating Kuroo - ouch!” Kei kicks him under the table and Akiteru bursts out laughing. 

“Now you have a Christmas date.” Tetsurou sing-songs and Akiteru’s cheeks grow the same shade of pink Kei’s do whenever Tetsurou embrasses him. “And I have it on good authority that reuniting with a high school crush can have great results.”

 

***

 

During the concert, the mothers conspire to get Akiteru and The Girl from His Past to sit next to one another. The gymnasium is cold, but keeping on their layers means no one really notices when Kei opens his palm and Tetsurou slides his hand into it so they can feel each other’s warmth as they listen to Christmas songs. When the lights come up, Kei’s mother looks like she’s in heaven, like she does every year. His father, on the other hand, gets a glint in his eye and announces, “time to eat!” Akiteru leaves with a phone number and Kei teases him about it the whole way home in the car. 

Dinner is a feast of epic proportions. Tetsurou’s visited with Kei each year they’ve been together, and even once before they were officially “a thing,” but this year the spread on the table eclipses all the others. As they eat their fill and then some, the conversation naturally flows to reminiscing. 

“I used to hate being stuck on a plane forever and going to France. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t just stay here for the summer like everyone else.” Kei admits.

“And now?” His mother asks, a playful threat in her voice.

Kei smirks. “Now it’s pretty cool, I guess.”

“What is one of your best memories from going?” Tetsurou asks, setting down his glass and shifting to see Kei a little better.

“I mean, Disney Paris was great, but mostly I just remember going to the beach with _grand-mère_.”

A chorus of content hums and tones of agreement ring out through the table. 

“That is where we spent most of our time together.” His grandmother smiles. “You so loved playing in the sand. We used to have to bribe you to go in the water so your little skin could cool down.”

“And Aki was so quick to make best friends for the day. He’d run off and get buried in the sand or learn to surf and just keep coming back for water or sunscreen with the biggest grin on his face.” Kei’s mother adds. 

“Don’t forget all our insane cousins.” Kei’s aunt adds with a smile at her sister. 

“Oh don’t get me started on them.” His mother laughs.

“Dad would just read.” Kei says, his dad chuckles.

“No way, remember my tide clock? I was keenly observing the ocean all day.”

“Oh god, that thing was so huge. And you had that super sensitive temperature gauge, too.”

“I told you, I was observing. I’m the reason you boys are so clever.”

“If that’s what you want to believe, dear.” His mother winks across the table at his father. “We all know where their best qualities come from.”

It’s clear from the stories and the smiles as the food and wine flow that the lives around the table are linked by more than just blood. There’s a shared past, of course, but also a wide-open future. As Kei and Tetsurou share their own memories from their trips, Tetsurou feels like he’s being woven in to the fabric of this family. 

 

***

 

Full and content, the family retires to the living room. They eat more dessert than they should and drink tea to start to wind down for the night. 

Sometimes on Christmas Eve, Kei’s family lets one another choose a present from under the tree to open early. But Kei’s father falls asleep almost immediately in his corner of the couch and his grandmother sends herself to bed not much later. Akiteru’s too occupied with his phone, an uncontainable smile stretches across his face as he taps message after message to his old crush. Kei’s mother and aunt sit by the window, switching back and forth between Japanese and French, talking faster and faster and snickering at one another’s jokes. 

Tetsurou sees an opportunity. Even if the others aren’t exchanging any gifts tonight, he still wants to give Kei’s his without anyone else around. It’s nothing scandalous, but still, giving presents is such a vulnerable thing. He’s not sure he’ll ever be ready for Kei’s family to see the face Tetsurou makes when he waits for Kei’s reaction. 

He leans over to whisper in Kei’s ear. “Do you want to open our presents now?”

Kei pulls away from the tickle of breath on his neck and, smiling, agrees. For a moment, Tetsurou sees the same look in his eyes that he saw in Kei’s mother’s eyes at the concert. 

Still wanting to look like he’s following the rules, Kei leaves the door cracked when they go upstairs to his old room. Kei sits at the head of his bed, Tetsurou at the other end. In between them is a small, wrapped package and an envelope. 

With birthdays, they get each other “stuff.” Books. Movies. Electronics. But for Christmas, they have one rule: they must get one another an experience - interpret as needed. 

“You first.” Tetsurou says, gently pushing the package a little closer to Kei.

With a skeptical smirk, Kei slides his finger under the tape, carefully opening the wrapping paper to reveal the newest novel by his favorite author. 

“Open it!” Tetsurou practically bounces on the other end, his breath catching in his throat as he waits. Kei opens it and a question spreads across his face as he looks at the small folded paper inside. 

“Tetsu, what did you --”

Tetsurou watches as Kei starts to connect the dots, but he can’t wait any longer. “He’s coming. Like near us. Your favorite author is starting his book tour and Akaashi’s company does publicity for him and, well, you’re going to a special meet and greet with, like, only ten other people.”

Kei shuts the book and runs his fingers down the spine, looking at it the whole time. “Tetsurou, how did you--?” He looks up and Tetsurou swallows hard when he catches his eyes glistening in the bedroom light. “You win every year. How are you so much better at gift giving than I am? This is amazing.”

“It’s not that much. Akaashi helped a lot.”

“No it’s so much. I love it. Thank you.” Refusing to set the book down, he holds it in his lap and pushes the envelope closer to Tetsurou. “Mine is silly now.”

“I know it’s not going to be.” Tetsurou takes the soft blue envelope and runs his finger along the sealed edge to open it. Inside he immediately notices two printed out plane tickets. Kei always gets them a trip. He looks forward to wherever they’re going every year.

“Go, go, see where we’re going.” Kei sounds impatient. 

Tetsurou quickly unfolds the papers and a brochure for Sapporo falls out from between the tickets. 

“You talked about how you always wish you could go to the Snow Festival. Well --”

“I’m going to go in a snow maze!” The second the words leave his mouth, Tetsurou wishes he had thought of something else first, something more meaningful, but then Kei laughs and it’s fine. “Oh this is going to be awesome. When are we going?”

“End of January. You have that three day weekend when your next project is done.”

“I’m gonna see so much cool crap made out of snow.”

“And you know this is a gift for you, not for both of us, because I’d never willingly go that far north in the dead of winter.”

Tetsurou launches across the bed, tackling his boyfriend into his comforter. “Thank you, Tsukki. It’s perfect.” He brackets his arms on either side of Kei’s head and kisses him, trying his best to share how lucky he feels right now.

When he pulls back, Kei bites his lip like he does when he’s thinking. Tetsurou’s about to interrupt him to ask what’s wrong when he speaks. “Close the door,” is all he says, but his fingers trace a trail up from Tetsurou’s abs to his collarbone. 

Realization dawns in Tetsurou’s brain and he feels electricity start to work its way from his fingers to his toes. “You sure?” He asks, “I don’t think everyone’s asleep yet.”

“Don’t care right now.” Kei purrs beneath him and Tetsurou melts. He hops off the bed to close the door and Kei dims the lamp. 

When Tetsurou turns back around, Kei’s propped up on his elbows, licking his lips. Tetsurou says a silent prayer to the universe, thanking everything that Kei is his, for every reason. He crawls over top of him, knocking him down on his back and settling between his legs. “You’re always the best present.”

 

***

 

In the morning, there are no alarms, no one screaming that “Santa came!” and forcing everyone out of bed. The house is quiet. Another wonderful Tsukishima Christmas tradition. After a night of eating everything, drinking all the wine, and talking until it’s late, everyone always sleeps in. 

Tetsurou’s awake before Kei. Neither of them bothered to put anything back on after last night, so they’re both naked and bundled up tight inside of layers of blankets. During the night Tetsurou kicked off a few, always trying to wriggle an arm or leg free to stay cool. Like always, Kei quickly snatched up any loose sources of warmth and now he’s packed in tight like a burrito. 

Kei’s face is turned towards Tetsurou, soft in the midst of sleep, his lips parted just a little. Tetsurou wants to reach out and touch him, trace the little imaginary lines connecting his leftover freckles from their last trip to Okinawa, but he’d rather Kei sleep as long as possible. 

Watching him sleep, Tetsurou wonders how he’ll react when he asks him to marry him. It’s not a complete surprise. They’ve talked about it. Kei seems fine with actually being married, it’s the wedding, being the center of attention so long, that puts him off. Back when they last discussed it, Tetsurou assured him that he’d make sure everyone knew to avert their gaze from the most handsome groom. 

That was several months ago. Back then, the timing wasn’t right. Tetsurou had just started a new job, they had just moved, and a lot was in flux. Now, in December, they’re a little more settled. It’s easier to see now what a future together might look like. 

He wonders which reaction he’s hoping for. Tetsurou loves when something catches Kei just right and he has to swallow hard to keep his voice from breaking, but he also loves when Kei lets himself get overwhelmed with joy and throws his head back to laugh. 

Beside him, Kei stirs and Tetsurou holds himself as still as possible, worried he was wiggling too much in bed, but Kei just turns over in his cocoon and continues sleeping. Though he doesn’t feel the pull of sleep any longer, Tetsurou rests his head back down on his pillow and wraps an arm and a leg around Kei. The rest of Christmas morning can wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I accidentally write some plot? Loose plot?
> 
> All I know is I was very liberal with the application of the prompts in this one. They were just like the sprinkles on top.(And they were such good ones, too! I want to write so much for lazy morning, but alas.)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading! Another chapter-ish of xmas with the Tsukishimas, and then we're off to the Kuroo household for the New Year!


	6. Day 6: piggyback ride/sleep talking/books or movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas day comes and goes and Tetsurou tells Kei's parents about his plans.

Christmas day is far less busy than Christmas Eve. After a morning of opening presents and leisurely picking at leftovers for brunch, the family seems to take turns visiting friends in the neighborhood, eating more, and taking naps. 

Somewhere in between watching Kei gush over a gifted sweater simply because his _grand-mère_ gave it to him and remembering how cute Kei looks when he eats desserts and forgets to be as tidy as he usually is, smearing chocolate along his lips, Tetsurou makes a decision. 

He’s going to propose on December 31.

And January 1.

It’s going to be like their anniversary. The proposal will begin in one year and carry them right along to the next. The very last thing he’s doing this year and the very first thing he’s doing in the new year is telling Kei how important he is to him. 

And he’s decided something else, too. He’s going to tell Kei’s parents before they return to Tokyo tomorrow. He gets today and tomorrow to figure out how to do that or ignore it for now and then blurt something out at the very end. He’ll figure it out. 

For the most part, he does a good job or shaking off the nerves of both an upcoming proposal and telling Kei’s parents, but every once in a while the anxiety and excitement will take root and he’ll feel all jumpy again. Which is why he’s more than grateful that they both get a text from Tadashi asking them to go out for a drink that night before he leaves to visit family for the New Year. 

During the day the sun had shone and melted the top layer of the snow that had fallen intermittently over the past few days. By night, though, everything had frozen once again making Kei’s driveway and the roads beyond treacherous.

“Akiteru offered to drive us.”

“I know.” Kei pouts stubbornly. “The place is close, though. Driving would be stupid.”

For all his usual confidence in winter weather, even Kei slows his steps after he slips a few times. Tetsurou, though, feels like a new man in boots he borrowed from Kei’s father. 

“These things are awesome.” He says, planting his heel firmly into another patch of snow and ice. “I can go anywhere!” 

They make it a few more feet before there’s a dip in the sidewalk that Kei didn’t see in time and he loses his footing and falls onto the ice. 

“Aw babe, you alright?” Tetsurou bends over him as he holds out his hands to help him up. 

Kei grimaces. “My pride is wounded.” He puts his weight on one foot and starts to put it on the other. “Ooh, and my ankle. I landed on it weird.”

WIthout explanation, Tetsurou turns around and squats near the ground, patting his back. 

“What are you doing?”

“Get on! I’m in invincible boots. I’ll carry you!”

“Oh god no. There’s no way I’m going to trust you to carry me on ice. And it doesn’t even hurt that bad. You’re making a fuss.”

“I am! Now get on. I want to.”

“No.” Kei starts walking and a hiss escapes his lips when he puts his full weight down on his right leg. 

Tetsurou scoots forward, still squatting, and pats his back again. This time, Kei swings his legs on either side of Tetsurou’s back. As Tetsurou starts to stand, Kei’s arms wrap around him tight, gripping into the front of his jacket with ridiculous strength. “If you drop me, I swear --”

“I won’t drop you.”

The grip on his jacket tightens impossibly more. 

“I promise. I got you.”

They make it to the small bar in one piece, but Kei makes Tetsurou put him down before they get inside to preserve some of his dignity. For a few hours they nurse their drinks, more content to just be in each other’s company and away from family for a little while than wanting to throw back a bunch of alcohol. 

Tadashi’s recollection of his day is more of what Tetsurou was used to Christmas being like before he met Kei. Tadashi’s mom picked up a Christmas cake from the grocery store and they ate it with lunch. Spare some Christmas specials on TV, that was it. For most of his life, Tetsurou was convinced Christmas was just a holiday for couples, maybe kids if your family was more modern than traditional. In his family, like most when he was growing up, all of the attention was spent on the New Year and that’s what he looked forward to the most. Sure, when he was younger his father would pick up some Christmas themed treats after work, but Tetsurou’s glad he gets to experience so much more than that now. 

Not that he would mind a Christmas bucket of fried chicken and some loosely-themed Christmas cupcakes from the donut shop down the street from his old apartment right about now. 

Once the hour grows late and everyone’s eyelids start to droop, they say goodnight and make loose plans for Tadashi’s next visit to Tokyo. Tetsurou’s shocked when Kei lets him carry him the whole way home. The trust implicit in that gesture makes Tetsurou’s heart swell and he focuses carefully on his steps the entire way until they reach his front door. 

That night, wrapped up in a new blanket from his aunt and snuggled up close to Tetsurou, Kei sings bits of Christmas carols in his sleep.

 

***

 

On their last night in Miyagi, Kei’s mother sends Kei to deliver some baked goods to a neighbor. His heart thudding in his chest, Tetsurou shakily seizes the opportunity. In the living room, he clears his throat near where Kei’s mother is fussing over the dropped needles from the Christmas tree and Kei’s father is working on his laptop. 

“Do you two have a minute? If it’s okay, I have something I want to talk about.”

Kei’s mother’s eyes dart away from the tree and lock on his immediately. “Of course.” A smile plays on her lips as she sits down next to her husband who just shuts his laptop, his face inscrutable. 

And now he feels like an idiot, standing in front of these two people who are very important to Kei, wringing his hands and starting to sweat from how quickly his blood is coursing through his body. He forces words from his mouth, knowing Kei’s errand won’t take him forever. 

“In a few days I’m going to, I mean, I’m planning on - On New Year's I’m going to ask Kei something. I’m going to, and we’ve talked about it before, but I’m going to ask him to marry me.” He lets the words settle but barely allows himself any chance to breathe before the words continue to tumble out. “I know that we can’t legally get married here, but it would still count to me, to us, and I don’t know, I thought we could see about going to France since, I don’t know - I still need to wait for him to say yes --”

He doesn’t get another word out. Kei’s mother’s arms are wrapped around his middle. “He’s going to say yes.” She whispers, her voice cracking. “I’m so happy.” She pulls back just enough to look up at him. “I’m so happy you two found each other.”

Behind her, Kei’s father clears his throat twice and puts one hand on his wife’s shoulder and the other on Tetsurou’s, patting it warmly. 

The front door opens. Kei calls out, “I’m home!”

“Welcome back!” Kei’s mother responds, rapidly wiping her eyes and giving Tetsurou one final squeeze before she steps away.

“What are you three talking about?” Kei walks into the room and regards the three of them with one eyebrow raised.

“Books.” Replies his father.

“Movies.” Says Tetsurou at the same time. “Um, books that were turned into movies.”

“And how the books are always better.” 

“Exactly.”

“Alright.” Kei says slowly. He holds up a paper bag. “Mom, she said thanks and also sent me back with the tupperware you lent her, only now it’s full of cookies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wee bit shorter today since ch 5 grew so much longer than it was supposed to be, but hopefully you enjoy the two little scenes. Thank you all so much for reading!σ(≧ε≦ｏ)


	7. Day 7: meet the family/pet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a visit to the Kuroo household!

When they get back home, Tetsurou tucks the ring back into the corner of his bedside drawer. Kei never goes in there because, in his words, “it’s a terrifying mess.” He nestles the box into the chaos where it’ll stay safe until they leave for his dad’s on Friday. 

They get a couple days of normalcy - going to work, running errands, catching up on laundry - before they each pack a weekend bag to take to Tetsurou’s dad’s house. He doesn’t live far away, just on the other side of Tokyo, but he insists on having Tetsurou stay with him at year’s end and Tetsurou never complains. Aside from a couple of long-term girlfriends that have come and gone through the years, his dad is usually alone in the old house. 

This year, though, his uncle is also coming to stay with them and bringing his wife and kid. The small place is going to be filled to the brim with people. Tetsurou grabs his bag and leaves to help his dad get the house ready. 

<< apartment’s locked, appliances are all off, and I’m off to dad’s. See you later, tsukiiiiii~

He lets himself in when he gets there and is immediately greeted by the youngest family cat, Carrot. The little striped orange kitten weaves himself through Tetsurou’s legs and he has to pet him to earn his release so he can take off his shoes and set his bag down. From how quiet it is inside, he knows his dad isn’t home from work yet.

Directly next to the entryway is the small alcove where his mom’s memorial stays. He settles down in front of it and sets her favorite candy bar on the altar. “I’m home.” He says just as loudly as if someone was about to reply. If he thinks hard enough, he can almost remember what her voice used to sound like when she welcomed him home after school or at least he can remember how he felt when she said it. 

“It’s almost New Year. Dad invited over a ton of people. I don’t know how we’re going to fit, you know, with the four cats and all here, too. Kei’s coming, of course he is. Things are going well with us. I’m going to propose, but I think you already knew that.” He sits there silently for a moment staring forward. He can’t catch any of the thoughts that speed through his mind, but it takes him a while to find his voice again. “Alright, I’m gonna go clean up. Dad’s still a slob like me.”

He carries his bag through the living room, past the doorway into the kitchen that’s shaped like a hallway, past his dad’s room and towards the back of the house where the guest room and his dad’s office are. Tetsurou starts to throw his bag on the floor in the office, but pulls it back at the last second when he sees their oldest cat, the forever grumpy and fluffy Cookie, asleep in his dad’s office chair. He sets it down carefully instead and reaches over towards the window where Curry is stretched out sunbathing. Tetsurou runs his fingers down the white stripe down Curry’s brown and black fur and asks him, “Where's your other brother?” 

Starting at his dad’s desk, he straightens his papers, throws a couple into the few labeled folders and stacks the rest neatly next to his laptop. He throws away the food wrappers and napkins and gathers up all the coffee mugs to bring to the kitchen. At least he knows where he gets it from. Like he tells Kei, the Kuroos live in organized chaos. 

He finally spots the fourth cat, the aptly named Beef, curled up on the guest bed when he goes in there to change the sheets. “Come on, Beef. I need to strip the bed.” The enormous cat looks in his direction and goes back to sleep, curling up tighter. Tetsurou chuckles, gently tugging on the comforter Beef’s resting on. The cat’s head moves again, stretches out his front paws, and goes back to sleep. “Beef,” he whines, “I’m going to have to move you.” Picking up the big cat’s always been a chore, but it’s even worse as he puts on more weight in his old age. His muscles are still strong, though, and he shoves his paws into Tetsurou’s chest in protest. “Fine. I was going to put you on the couch, but you can go on the floor instead.” Beef looks up at him then saunters away soundlessly. 

Tetsurou can’t wait for the day he and Kei move to a place where they can have pets. 

 

***

 

By the time his dad’s home, the only thing that’s left to do is get a handle on the dishes that have piled up in the sink. Tetsurou left that on purpose. Second only to cleaning the toilet, the dishes are his least favorite chore in the house. 

“You’re here early.” His dad walks in, groceries in hand, and sets them down to ruffle his hair like Tetsurou’s not a head taller than him and a fully grown man. “I’d say give me a hand with the groceries, but it looks like you already earned your keep. You didn’t have to do all that.”

Tetsurou shrugs. “Got off early.” Not the truth. He used a few hours of his vacation to come help out. From the look on his dad’s face, he knows he’s lying, but he lets it go. 

“How was it at Kei’s?” His dad busies himself putting things in the pantry and the fridge while Tetsurou settles down at the little two-seater table in the kitchen. 

“Good, like always. I told you he had family coming from France, right?”

“Yea, how was that?”

“Pretty cool. His aunt is a lot like his mom and his grandmother was, like, ancient but so, so sweet.”

His dad laughs, then pauses with his hand still in a cabinet above his head. “Anything - any important life news I need to hear about?”

Tetsurou groans, running a hand through his messy hair. “No, not yet.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“The right time! I told you that.”

“There’s never a right time. Just do it.” His dad turns around and flashes him a wink before opening the freezer. 

“I have a date picked.”

“Oh yea? When? Ten years from now?”

“Oh my god, we’ve only been together three years.”

“You and I both know that’s not true.”

Tetsurou chuckles. His dad's right. They were a couple long before they said the words. There was a full year where they reconnected after college because they ended up living near one another by chance. A whole year where they ate together, always hung out together, never dated anyone else. The whole time he wanted to kiss Kei so bad and it turned out Kei wanted to do the same all along.

Tetsurou chooses to ignore the comment and keeps the conversation rolling in its original direction. “I’m asking him on New Year’s.”

His dad sets a beer in front of Tetsurou, putting one on the other side of the table for himself. “Well, let me know if you need any help. And don’t chicken out.”

“I won’t.”

 

***

 

Tetsurou doesn’t say anything when Kei gets there that evening and pays his respects at the altar, placing a fun size of the same candy bar next to Tetsurou’s, but he does have to blink several times and swallow hard before he can talk again. 

Kei remarks at the cleanliness of the little, old house and Tetsurou puffs out his chest. “I do fine work.”

“How come you can’t do this at our place?”

Tetsurou snorts and shrugs. “I do! Most of the time. Not when I’m sleepy. I don’t know. Here it’s like a gift.”

“Oh Tetsu, if only you knew the gifts you could get from me if you didn’t leave dishes in the sink.”

Tetsurou’s eyes widen. “Really?”

In reply, Kei just walks away to go talk to Tetsurou’s dad. 

They order pizza that night and the three of them add more empty beer cans to the small pile building up in the recycling bin from earlier.

By the time his uncle texts and says they’re close, Tetsurou has a pleasant buzz going. “You nervous?” He asks Kei, leaning over and settling his head on Kei’s shoulder, mirroring the question he received a few days earlier. 

“No.”

“Why’s that?”

“Anyone with the surname Kuroo I already assume to be enjoyably insane. I’m prepared to meet them.”

Tetsurou snickers. He knows better. His uncle might be similar to his dad, but his aunt? The big, brassy woman from Osaka his uncle married? Now she’s something else. And that kid of theirs, though small and quiet, is packed with chaotic energy. 

Kei keeps his cool though as the group of three barrels into the house, dragging their suitcases behind them - way too much for a few day’s stay. That is until they settle in, a few beers in hand, pizza in their stomachs, his cousin asleep on a futon in the guest room, and his aunt asks matter-of-factly, “So Kei, what kind of lover is Tetsurou?”

Kei spits his beer back into his glass and Tetsurou cackles for a full five minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could *not* fit in scar worship. It'll forever be the one prompt I couldn't work in this week.
> 
> I hope you all are having fun with fluff week! For me, writing it has been a lovely dose of cupcakes and sunshine in my life (even though I keep getting behind and having to hash out a chapter the day before/day of). Kurotsukki's just so dang lovely. 
> 
> Thanks, always, for all the kudos, bookmarks, and comments! They keep me going! ヾ（*⌒ヮ⌒*）ゞ


	8. Day 8: tickles/hiccups/serenade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kei gets hiccups, Tetsurou sings, some fluffy time before bed

While Tetsurou absolutely adores visiting the Tsukishimas and getting wrapped up in their life for a moment, he loves coming back to his dad’s where he can be himself so much more easily. His dad has a cackle like his, throws himself head-first into whatever passing academic obsession he’s into just like him, and has always accepted Tetsurou for exactly who he was. His grandparents helped them a lot before they passed, and he’s forever grateful for that, but at the end of the day, since he was small, it was just him and his dad. 

Tetsurou sprawls his legs out on the couch, sticking his ankles and feet in Kei’s lap. Kei tries to push them off, but Tetsurou goes limp to make them too hard to move. The family’s watching some hospital drama that no one cares about. The older adults are showing each other pictures on their phones and chatting before everyone starts heading to bed. 

His cousin has already offered “tattoos” to everyone in the room several times. So far only Tetsurou’s taken him up on the offer and is currently sporting crudely drawn marker animals, cars, and blobby, block people on his arms and the parts of his legs he rolled up his sweatpants to allow him to decorate. 

“You better hope all that washes off.”

“The pack says washable. And non-toxic. Don’t I look good?”

Kei snorts. “Yea, super hot. Why’d you let him do it?”

“I don’t know. He’s cute?”

“I’m cute!” The boy shouts from across the room, still brandishing his markers. 

Tetsurou’s uncle rolls up his sleeves and his son jumps for joy, dashing over to decorate his father’s arms, too. “Thanks for taking him to the park today. I thought it would tire him out, but --”

“No problem. I’m the world’s best cousin. We built little snowmen.”

“Tiny snow and ice chunk demons.” Kei corrects.

“You know, just because they had horns doesn’t mean they’re evil. They can be whoever they want to be.”

Kei snickers but a hiccup interrupts him. He sighs. “Oh, they’re back.”

“Hold your breath.” Tetsurou suggests.

“I already did that earlier!” He hiccups again, his torso shaking. 

Tetsurou sits up, crosses his legs in front of him, and places a hand on Kei’s back. “I can scare them out of you.” He pauses to think while Kei hiccups again. “I left the toaster on with a bunch of silverware stuck in it before I left.”

Kei laughs and hiccups again. “Stupid, I went back home after you. I know you didn’t.”

“Alright, down to my last idea.”

Kei turns to look at him but has no time to react before Tetsurou’s hands are at his sides gently digging in and tickling him right where he knows Kei’s the most ticklish. Kei jerks as he laughs and hiccups, trying to break free from the hold. Tetsurou doesn’t relent. 

When he finally does, Kei’s gasping for breath and his face is red from more than just the lack of oxygen. His eyes dart around the room to see the reactions of those who bore witness to such an event. Tetsurou catches his panic but glances around the room to see that no one was paying any attention. “See no one cares here. Welcome to the Kuroos.”

“Get off me.” Kei playfully shoves him.

“But your hiccups are gone.”

Tetsurou watches as realization spreads across his boyfriend’s face. Kei pulls his lips into a tight line, unwilling to admit Tetsurou’s right. 

 

***

 

As much as Tetsurou loves his family, he quickly feels the need to carve out some time for just him and Kei, especially as the New Year approaches. He starts thinking things he knows is silly, but he indulges himself anyway. Thoughts like “this is our second to last day as just boyfriends!” Everyday becomes his own little celebration of some event. He almost wishes Kei knew, but if nothing else, Kei seems to be elated, if not slightly suspicious, of Tetsurou’s unstoppable good mood. 

They borrow the car to treat themselves to lunch alone. When his dad gave him the car keys, he tossed him across the room with a wink, just like when Tetsurou was in high school trying to go on dates. 

“Just put on the recently played list.” Tetsurou says once they start driving and Kei seems unable to pick something to listen to. “The drive’s short. Whatever’s fine.”

The first song that comes up is Elvis’ “Blue Christmas.”

Kei bursts out laughing. “When were you listening to this?”

“Recently, obviously. It was Christmas!”

Kei skips the song and one of Tetsurou’s metal bands comes up next.

“What? Go back. I like that song.”

“It’s not Christmas anymore.”

“So?” At a stop light, Tetsurou tries on his most pitiful face. “I want to sing it.”

“Why?” Kei asks, but Tetsurou already knows he’s won. The current song stops and “Blue Christmas” comes up again.

Without skipping a note, Tetsurou starts singing along, lowering his voice to match the cadence of Elvis. “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you--”

“We spent the whole holiday together.” Kei interjects.

Tetsurou starts swaying with the music, lifting one hand off the wheel to gesture towards Kei. “I’ll be so blue just thinking about you--”

“I don’t ever want to know what you’re thinking.”

“Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree--” 

“All the trees are trash now.”

“Won’t be the same dear, if you’re not here with me.” He clicks his tongue and winks, hoping Kei sees it. 

“I’m right next to you.” Kei adds a comment again, but when the next verse starts, he joins in. Tetsurou knows the infectious power of his good moods, even for Kei. 

When the metal song comes back on, Tetsurou keeps the Elvis voice and does his best to scream the dirty vocals for the chorus. Kei laughs until a tear rolls down his cheek. Tetsurou feels like he won.

 

***

 

The night before New Year’s Eve, Tetsurou stares at the ceiling unable to find sleep. Next to him on the futon in his dad’s office, Kei’s reading with his book light clamped to the hardcover. The book is propped on his chest and Tetsurou watches him for a few minutes, still celebrating the little moments in his head with thoughts like, “this is the last night I’m going to sleep next to just a boyfriend.”

“I can feel you looking at me.” Kei says without putting his book down.

“What’s happening in the book?”

“Well it’s the fictionalized version of that mass murder case that happened in the 70s and right now I’m at the part where I know the detective’s being watched but she doesn’t know it yet.” He closes the book and sets it off to the side. “It’s good, but that’s not what you want to talk about, is it?” 

Tetsurou rolls onto his side, half shrugging. 

Kei rolls over, too. On the small futon, their faces are just inches from one another. “Something on your mind?”

Tetsurou feels Kei’s slender fingers run up the back of his neck and through the short hairs at his nape. For a moment his eyelids close as he relaxes into the feeling. “Not really.”

“Usually you fall asleep so quickly. You seemed happy today, though.”

He opens his eyes again, his heart feeling like a puddle of disgustingly happy goo when he looks at Kei’s face and thinks about tomorrow night. “I was. I am.”

“So what’s keeping you up?”

Through the years, Kei’s learned to probe past Tetsurou’s laugh and smile. Often times, it’s genuine, but Kei knows to dig past it from time to time to see what else is going on. Tonight, though, there’s nothing bothering him. Quite the opposite. “Nothing really. Just can’t sleep, I guess.”

“You excited for the new year like a little kid? Get to stay up late?” Kei snickers, his nose crinkling up towards his eyes. 

Tetsurou’s smile stretches across his face. “Something like that. I am looking forward to our shrine visit.”

Even though they’re already sandwiched together on the futon, Kei pushes himself closer, his nose touching Tetsurou’s. “Going at midnight, like always?”

Tetsurou throws his free arm around Kei, rubbing circles with his thumb. “Of course.”

“I’m glad. I like starting my year that way.” Kei leans in the rest of the way, sharing a short, sweet kiss. “With you.”

“That’s my favorite part, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! We're almost at the end! (*ﾟﾛﾟ) Tomorrow is the proposal! Thank you for reading, my lovelies!


	9. Day 9: proposal/anniversary/age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And then... a proposal.

The shrine isn’t very busy when Tetsurou, Kei, and his father get there. His aunt and uncle chose to stay behind so his cousin to go to sleep right after the New Year countdown on TV. 

Tetsurou’s not surprised at how few people are there. It’s a smaller shrine, one closer to the house where he and his father used to live with his grandparents. They’ve been coming to this shrine for their first visit of the New Year since they moved to Tokyo. The current priest’s father knew his grandparents and Tetsurou went to school with his daughter at Nekoma. Though they live farther away now, this place is filled with memories of coming here as a family or alone to pray for luck on exams or in tournaments and pocketing a charm to keep with him, just in case. 

It seems only right that it becomes the setting for another one of his life events. 

Inside, they join the small crowd of patrons and they’re given warm, unfiltered sake to drink. Tetsurou wraps his hands around the small cup, letting the heat seep into his fingers. He’s not sure how his hands can be cold. He feels like every part of him is alight.

As midnight draws closer, his heartbeat picks up. He wants to hold Kei’s hand to ground him to something, but knows this isn’t the place for it. Not yet, at least. When he prays and pulls the rope to ring the bell, he holds in his mind every intention for the year. He wants to marry Kei. He wants to continue growing, not just for Kei, but for himself, too. He wants his family to stay safe, Kei’s too. Tetsurou feels like he’s greedy for not just the galaxy, but the universe, too. But in the brief solitude, the cold around him, his proposal planned in his mind, it all seems so possible. 

After Kei’s had his time alone, Tetsurou suggests that they open their fortunes away from the small crowd of people. He’s proud his voice sounds so normal, not shaky at all, like how he feels. 

Tetsurou hurriedly opens his, but barely gives it a glance. What he has planned is based on Kei’s, what his fortune says about his love in the new year. Tetsurou has something planned for each potential fortune. “You read yours first,” he says.

“I got a small blessing, not bad.” Kei looks up, grinning. Tetsurou silently wills him to continue reading. “Decent for studies, that’s worthless now. Small curse in business, uh oh.” He chuckles. Tetsurou’s heart is in his throat. “Blessings in love. Aw, babe, that’s good for you.” Kei looks up, his usual casual smirk on his face, but Tetsurou watches it fade into something softer. 

“I think I know why you got a good one for love.”

“You do?” Kei’s voice is small. 

Tetsurou nods, finding his breath so he can speak. “Just before midnight a few years ago I started telling you how I really felt. I hadn’t practiced a word of it. Everything just tumbled out. Do you remember what I said?”

Kei bites his bottom lip. He nods slowly.

“I told you that spending time with you for the past year had been some of the best months of my life. I told you that, if I was honest with myself, a part of me had held onto liking you since high school. I told you that I wanted to be your boyfriend, that I wanted to spend all my time with you, get to know you better. I kept talking and talking and talking and--” Tetsurou swallows hard, locking eyes with Kei.

Kei’s voice cracks when he speaks. “And then I kissed you.” He smiles. “To make you stop talking.”

Tetsurou laughs, small and weepy. “It worked. I had said everything I needed to say anyway, but tonight, I have something else I need to say.”

In the dark, he reaches out to take Kei’s free hand in his. Kei makes a small choked sound in his throat. Tetsurou takes his time, blinking back the emotions that are welling up. “These past few years have been the best of my life. I’ve liked you since high school and I have fallen in love with you since I was lucky enough to have you become a part of my life again. This many years later, I still want to spend all my time with you and, though I know you more now than ever, I want to know everything about you, always. Last time I said I wanted to be your boyfriend. This time, I want more.”

Tetsurou reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out the small, glossy, dark wooden band. Metals had seemed too flashy. Wood seemed to fit Kei. Grounded. Constant. Warm and full of life. He rubs it between his thumb and his fingers for a moment, catching his breath as his heart thunders inside of him before he holds it out towards Kei’s outstretched hand. 

“Tsukishima Kei, will you marry me?”

A single tear falls down Kei’s cheek. “Yes, of course.” He sniffles, then a laugh bubbles up from his throat, thick with emotion. “Of course, of course, of course.” He repeats softly as Tetsurou puts the ring on his finger.

Tetsurou loses it then, the build up over the past few weeks washing over him as he starts to cry with a smile on his face. He can’t find any words anymore, so he wraps his arms around Kei, holding on to him like he’ll never let go. 

When he does pull back, he can’t resist kissing the breath out of his now fiancé, glad for the darkness around them. Kei kisses back with similar intensity, but they’re both aware that they’re outside, that it’s cold, that there are people not too far away. 

“I’m so glad you said yes.” Tetsurou says as they slowly separate, eyes still locked on one another. 

“Like I’d say anything else.” 

“I love you so freaking much.”

Kei laughs a little. “I love you so much, too.”

Tetsurou glances back towards the shrine to see his dad pretending like he hadn’t just watched everything unfold. He does a bad job of containing his excitement though, and after Kei and Tetsurou take a few steps towards the shrine, he’s already where they are, hugging both of them and saying “congratulations” over and over. 

Somehow they eventually make it back to the car.

“I take it you won’t be spending the night on my office floor again.”

“Dad, don’t that’s--”

“He’s right. We need to celebrate in our own place.”

Tetsurou sputters at Kei’s subtle innuendo, the most he’s ever insinuated in front of any of their parents.

“I’ll drop you two off at the station.”

“Wait!” Kei stops. “Tetsu, your fortune. You have to check it, just in case.”

Tetsurou had completely forgotten about it. He digs in his other pocket to find the now slightly crumpled piece of paper. Right at the top it reads “Half-Curse.” 

Kei peers over the top. “See? Aren’t you glad I made you check? You almost walked out of here half-cursed. That’s not how I want to begin the year, with a cursed man.”

“Half-cursed man.” Tetsurou looks back up the hill towards the shrine where other people are tying their misfortunes in messy little lines to make sure the bad luck doesn’t follow them into the new year. “Alright dad, I gotta take care of this.”

His dad smirks. “I’ll wait for you down here.”

Tetsurou looks over at Kei, then shakes his head. “We can walk. The station’s not far.”

They say goodnight after another hug and a few more congratulations, then Tetsurou makes the trek to rid himself of his minor curse. “I’m already super lucky, you know. I’m not worried.”

“I know, you are so lucky.” Kei bumps his shoulder into him as they walk. “I’m lucky, too.”

“This is going to be a good year.” Tetsurou says the words confidently, even though he has no idea what the year will hold. At this point, everything else in his life seems very small now that the man he loves has agreed to be with him always. 

When he first met Kei, he thought he was hot and clever. When he met him again, he thought he was brilliant and secretly very kind. Now that he’s gotten to know him better, Tetsurou knows that Kei is all of those things and so much more. He’s going to spend his life making sure Kei knows exactly how loved he is.

Tetsurou watches as Kei rubs the ring on his finger. “I think so, too. Happy New Year, Tetsu.”

“Happy New Year, Tsukki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of fluff week! The dorks are engaged.٩(♡ε♡ )۶
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who read, left kudos, left comments, and bookmarked. I hope it brought some fluff and warmth to your days! Happy holidays, lovelies! See you next ti~ime!(๑・ω-)～♥”

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read any of my stuff before, you know I *never* allow fluff without earning it through sadness and angst first. Well not this time! This is just all sweetness, all the time.
> 
> Also I'm not the first to hc Kei as a wee bit French. I've seen it in a few lovely fics (ivyfics among others!) So thanks to those that came before! Here's my own little take.
> 
> Enjoy, my loves! (๑・ω-)～♥”
> 
> [Chat with me on twitter @HeyMellieJellie](https://www.twitter.com/heymelliejellie)


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